Homebrew Wizard Archetype, Arcane Burglar


Homebrew and House Rules


Wizard Archetype; Arcane Burglar

Unlike most wizards whom grew up with a collegiate education, the Arcane Burglar, grew up in theless fortunate parts of the urban regions, becoming a thief whom used their magic to help them steal to survive and teach themselves or to pay for the education from a thieves guild. Some might even be messengers or dungeoneers of questionable arcane background. Either way, they are larcenous arcanists whom use magic for criminal ends and are often accepted into thieves guilds.

An arcane burglar can also be used to represent a spy, street magician or tomb raider whom uses magic to augment their larceny.

Features

Skill Changes. An Arcane Burglar Gains the Following 10 skills as Class Skills, Stealth, Disguise, Bluff, Diplomacy, Sleight of Hand, Knowledge (Local), Knowledge (Nobility), Knowledge (Dungeoneering), Appraise, and Sense Motive. This replaces the knowledge skills a wizard normally gains as class skills

Break In Artist, at 1st level an Arcane Burglar treats perception and disable device as additional class skills, in addition, she adds half her wizard levels to perception and disable device checks and may disable magical traps with the disable device skill as if she were a rogue. This feature replaces scribe scroll

Rogue Talents; at 5th level, 10th level and Every 5 levels after, an arcane burglar gains a rogue talent, at 10th level, she may take advanced talents. This replaces the bonus feats gained for every 5 levels she possesses. In addition, she may take the extra rogue talent feat as if she possessed the rogue talent class feature

Cantrips of the Thief, an Arcane Burglar Treats the Following 4 Cantrips as Additional Prepared Cantrips, whether or not she had actually prepared spells and may not swap them out. Sift, Mage Hand, Prestidigitation, and Breeze. All 4 of which she may use at will These cantrips replace the spell like arcane school power normally granted by the Arcane School at 1st level that is useable a limited number of times per day

Bond of the Burglar, at 1st level the Arcane Burglar forges a bond with herself, boosting her skill in the art of burglary adds her intelligence bonus as an insight bonus to the following skills, Stealth, Perception, Disable Device, Diplomacy, Disguise, Bluff, and Sleight of hand. This ability replaces the Wizard’s Arcane Bond


yes, you are intended to keep the 1st level passive school power and the 8th level school power, but you get neither the first, the arcane bond, nor the feats.

i'm sure the loss of free metamagic feats, the loss of free scribe scroll, and the loss of the conjuration schools dimensional step 1st level thing should balance out this archetype as does the loss of a familiar or bonded object.

but it is open to more Arcane Schools

Dark Archive

While I dig the creativity, this would basically be an archetype that allows you to basically play the prestige class called Arcane Trickster, but better because you do not need to multiclass (although you lose out on sneak attack). Any archetype that not only replaces a prestige class but could be argued as better is generally not a good idea. Sure, you lose out on sneak attack and evasion if you went wizard/rogue, you don't have to spend those 'hard' levels were you are half rogue, half wizard and not very good at either. Instead, you are just as awesome as a pure caster at spell casting and just as good at scouting as the rogue. In fact, this would also kind of negate the reason for playing either a wizard or rogue, because this archetype would just be better than the other two.

But I will not abandon you. My suggestion on if you wish to create something like this is to take a look at certain archetypes that do something similar. The Spellslinger combines some of the class features of a Wizard and the Gunslinger. You get a gun and can channel spells through it. Pretty cool. Why play a regular Wizard or Gunslinger? Because 1) if your gun breaks, it EXPLODES (like boom, new character) and 2) you have to take FOUR opposition schools. That means two more schools than normal that you suck at. Those extra abilities come at a high cost.

Simply exchanging certain abilities for others isn't a cost.


look at the Magus? it is better than the Eldritch Knight

look at the Witch? better than the mystic theurge

look at the inquisitor? better than a cleric/ranger

this may be better than an arcane trickster but it is inferior compared to a true wizard on the grounds that

a proper wizard can get extra actions from a familiar, a better 1st level school power from a few highly specific schools, free item creation and metamagic feats, and will likely devote less resources to being a wannabe rogue.

these guys aren't as casting focused as a wizard, but the rogue feature is secondary.

20% of the rogue talents a rogue gets and trapfinding, a rogue doesn't make. a burglar, yes.


Also prestiges are typically underpowered options.


I actually remember somebody converting the core prcs into archetypes. I belive arcane trickster was a wizard one, so this is very familiar.


found it

Dark Archive

Hey now... lets not get to excited. Inquisitor is just 'ok'. ;p

The Magus being better than the Eldritch Knight is generally what I am saying. The Magus IS the Eldritch Knight, just at level 1. It completely negates the prestige class because it does everything the Eldritch Knight does, but better. Eldritch Knights can cast spells and fight in melee! How fun... except the Magus can do that too, plus channel touch spells through their weapons and get armor proficiency and don't have to multiclass. It completely destroys any reason to play the PrC beyond nostalgia and/or challenging yourself. And it shows, since I don't think I have seen anyone play it since the Magus was released.

Also, is the witch really suppose to be a Mystic Theurge in base class form? I didn't get that feel from them. That might be me.

Back on the topic at hand, this archetype still eliminates most of the reasons to actually play the Arcane Trickster (except for sneak blasting, although that isn't really a reason to play one and more of a benefit associated with it).

On one hand, it would allow me to play one of my favorite character types (What I like to call 'Danny Ocean with Spells') much easier and at lower levels. What I lose in 'ranged legerdemain' and 'Surprise Spells', I feel like I more than get back with not having to worry about being MAD as much, gaining the regular spell progression of a typical wizard, having a pretty significant bonus to your core skills and not having the liability of an arcane bond.

Thats right, I said liability. Sure, a familiar gets extra actions and everyone loves to throw around 'action economy', but honestly, the furry/feathery/scaly thing often turns into a target, can mess up a stealth roll and generally isn't that terribly useful in combat anyways. (Even if you sacrifice a feat to get an improved version) And while my GM isn't a jerk, way too many love to try and steal that freaking magic ring that gives you your powers. Instead, you can trade that in and now you don't have to worry about your other stats as much because your main stat gets added into your most used abilities.


but then the arcane bond trade in, is merely compensating for poor attributes on the primary roguish skills.

if you dump wis or cha. they still affect your face skills, disguise and perception, and even if you have a mediocre dexterity, you can still have a viable disable device, stealth and sleight of hand. skills are usually replaced by spells anyway

and really, the wand using familiar is great support. there is literally no downside but waiting a weak and blowing some gold.

but what you lose compared to an arcane trickster

Surprise Spells

Sneak Blasting

Sneak Attack

Evasion

Trap Sense

an improved Familiar

Ranged Legerdemain (can be faked with mage hand)

Tricky Spells (free silent/still so many times per day)

that rounds per day greater invisibility thing

Dark Archive

So, I was flipping through the Advanced Class test book and after reading the Bloodrager and the Warpriest, both of which seem infinitely better than the classes they are based upon (Barbarian/Sorcerer and Cleric/Fighter, respectively), I feel like just going with it and trying to add to this.

Rather than a wizard archetype, why not an entirely new base class? Take a bit from Wizard, a tad from rogue and a tad from Arcane Trickster, but not a bunch from all of them. You could add a resource mechanic (like how the Magus has an Arcane Pool) that can let you do stuff neither one could.

I'm going to toss around a few ideas and try to bring something more constructive than "NOOOOO! DON'T DO IT!" that was my last few posts. :D


Koujow wrote:

So, I was flipping through the Advanced Class test book and after reading the Bloodrager and the Warpriest, both of which seem infinitely better than the classes they are based upon (Barbarian/Sorcerer and Cleric/Fighter, respectively), I feel like just going with it and trying to add to this.

Rather than a wizard archetype, why not an entirely new base class? Take a bit from Wizard, a tad from rogue and a tad from Arcane Trickster, but not a bunch from all of them. You could add a resource mechanic (like how the Magus has an Arcane Pool) that can let you do stuff neither one could.

I'm going to toss around a few ideas and try to bring something more constructive than "NOOOOO! DON'T DO IT!" that was my last few posts. :D

don't have the formatting tools to homebrew a class. i could use some help

i was Thinking Intelligence Primary, Lightly Armored, 6th level Sorcerer/Wizard spells with arcanist style preparation, D8, 3/4 Bab, a slowed Sneak attack and rogue talent progression

though that one, i would have to call the spellcloak and write it up as a spellcasting assassin


Did you look at multiclass archetypes?
stealth mage
cabal bravo


cabal bravo has exactly the kind of thing i am looking for, except it doesn't have 6th level spells or trapfinding, but it should manage.


I personally think it would fine with 6th level. But thats just me.


christos gurd wrote:
I personally think it would fine with 6th level. But thats just me.

i agree it would be fine with 6th level spells and trapfinding.


Hyup.

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